Pothole repairs planned in Northumberland

Ian Smith

Extra council funding is to be used to repair Northumberland roads damaged by the winter weather.

A combination of sub-zero temperatures, rain and snow has led to a a 40% increase in the number of potholes being identified throughout the county in January compared to the same time last year.

Each year the council undertakes a major capital investment programme to maintain and improve its highway network, with over £23m being spent in 2017/18.

The council has recently been awarded an extra £930,771 Pothole Action Fund grant for 2017/18 from the Department for Transport, and the council has also agreed to plough in an extra £420,000 in contingency funding so that it can quickly improve the condition of the county’s road surfaces.

Work will start in mid February and teams are aiming to clear the backlog by the end of March.

The new funding will be spent on increased road inspections, extra equipment and resources and a range of repair work, with the emphasis being on the use of repair techniques that provide for a longer-term fix where the damaged patch of road surface is cut out and repaired.

Council leader Peter Jackson said: “We know how vital our road network is and we are committed to doing all we can to tackle this increase in potholes.

“The combination of freeze-thaw weather conditions has seen a deterioration in some of our roads and we are responding by investing a substantial sum in additional repairs focused on longer-term solutions.

“This intensive work over the coming months will see teams out and about across the county carrying out repair work.”

Coun Glen Sanderson, cabinet member for Environment and Local Services, added: “With over 5,000kms of road to look after, eradicating every single pothole is always going to be a challenge, but this £1.3m investment means we will be repairing thousands of defects ahead of the summer season – meaning real improvements for residents and visitors.”